1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of chemical compositions, and more particularly to liquid chemical compositions that comprise several chemical components, and that are used as surface cleaners to remove stains, dirt, and other undesirable debris from hard surfaces as well as textile surfaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are a wide variety of methods and compositions available today for the purpose of cleaning surfaces. Several of the cleaning compositions are specialized, and are directed toward specific cleaning tasks. For example, cleaners may include a scouring powder, and these may be developed for the specific purpose of cleaning cooking utensils where the scouring powder facilitates removal of hardened cooking residues from surfaces. Other specialized cleaners have been developed to clean carpets, to clean kitchen counter tops, to wash cars, and for a multitude of other uses.
In general, many of the cleaners are water-based (“aqueous”) and have an action that facilitates dissolving the debris (“ink, dyes, toner, stains, dirt, food residue, or any other undesirable composition to be removed”) in water so that the debris may be readily removed. Since not all debris types are water-soluble, and sometimes cannot be readily solubilized, some cleaning compositions are non-aqueous, and may be based on alcohol. Alcohol is a more polar solvent than water, and alcohol-based cleaning liquids may be useful to remove debris that is alcohol soluble from surfaces. In yet other applications, the liquid cleaner may be a hydrocarbon-based composition, such as for example the cleaning fluids used in the “dry cleaning” process to clean clothing.
In carpet cleaning, there are several methods in common use. These include dry cleaning which uses fast drying chemical mixtures that are characterized as very low moisture (“VLM”) systems. Heavily soiled carpet areas are often pretreated with detergents, emulsifiers, and solvents such as D-limonene, and petroleum-based products. Other techniques include the use of dry carpet shampoo, or wet shampoo with rotary machines, followed by vacuuming the affected area.
For surfaces, such as kitchen or bath room surfaces, it is often desirable that the surface also be cleaned of microbes and/or fungi. Such sanitization/sterilization of surfaces may be achieved by applying a cleaning composition that includes a biocide, or that has a pH in the range that will kill pathogens.
In general, while some cleaning compositions may be “multi-purpose” and can theoretically be used, for example, in bath rooms as well as kitchens, most are marketed for a single purpose, and most are formulated with that particular purpose in mind. Variations of the composition used for cleaning floors may be sold, under a different name, for cleaning bath room marble counter tops, for example.